Not to mention the need to live in remote mountain villas or luxury ski lodges to be near an established biathlon course, and possibly a translator or language lessons (considering many of the top 20 countries in Biathlon do not speak English).

Once you add all those very specific requirements up, you then come to realize that biathlon is one of the most exclusive and expensive Olympic sports there is.

But what if you’re a city kid who has never seen snow, but can shoot the beard off a turkey?

Could you be taught to ski AND shoot with enough time to every have a chance to compete in Biathlon if you had the means to?

I say, Yes!

The approach is called the No Snow Biathlon, and it actually more common in the United States then you would believe.

However, to get to the level of a potential Olympic biathlete, you need to focus on the key principles of the sport as follows:

#1 — Shooting… Lots and lots of shooting

The first key component to No Snow Biathlon is a rifle range.

You need some place to shoot, and you need it to have enough talented range masters to let you know if:

#3 — Combining trail running with shooting

The No-Snow Biathlon concept is designed to combine your trail running with shooting.

During a real race, you will experience the heart-pumping rhythm of a long distance run, followed by the extreme need to calm yourself and shoot straight.

This is where biathletes are made.

The capability to go all out on the cross-country course, then slow your breathing to focus on shooting five tiny targets from various positions, then go all out again, is what makes this sport hard.

Because this fast-slow-fast-slow pattern is so difficult to master, the next stage of your journey should consist of running trails just outside the rifle range.

The trick is to go run, come into the range and shoot, then go run again.

If you miss, you run around the parking lot as a penalty, then run another lap before coming back and shooting again.

You can modify your shooting to include prone, kneeling, and standing positions, just like you would in a real competition.

You can also increase the distance of your trail run based on short or long distance training.

The goal to get as close as possible to simulating a real biathlon event.

#4 — Skiing with wheels

If your range doesn’t have any good trails or you need more cross-country skiing practice, the option of roller skis can also be utilized.

Just like in a real biathlon race, the time between transitioning from skiing to shooting and back is a critical factor.

Rollerskis can easily recreate the same pressures an athlete would experience when it comes to shooting after skiing and even provide the same issues with getting out and back into skis between shooting positions.

Unlike trail running, roller skis are three to four times more expensive than a good pair of trail shoes.

Roller Skis are also a specialty item that would be an obstacle for most athletes when it comes to racing in a No Snow Biathlon event.

However, you cannot ignore the reality that roller skis can give you in creating the near-snow experience.

Roller skiing isn’t perfect, but when you don’t have any snow, it could be a great way condition yourself for the endurance needed when you do get to do any cross-country skiing.

No Snow – No Problem

Recreationalists, endurance racers, off-road enthusiasts, and even potential biathletes now have more options than ever before to enter the world of biathlon without snow.

Newcomers to trail running or even roller skiing can also find the no-snow biathlon experience to be a welcome distraction.

For those interested in taking the no-snow principles into the alpine, any endurance conditioning that creates a strong physical base can benefit anyone looking to build an off-season, cross-country skiing physique.

With only a little bit of creativity, potential athletes in snowless regions can develop their own opportunities for simulating the near-real world conditions you will find in a biathlon event.

Here are some examples of no-snow biathlon events held during the Summer:

Posted by Kyle Bondo

Kyle Bondo is a thinker, podcaster, author, and creative strategy dragon seeking to make a small dent in the universe. He is the founder of Reckoneer, host of the Merchants of Dirt Podcast and Get Lost Racing Podcast podcasts, and an avid adventure racer. As a successful race promoter with over 20+ years in the endurance racing industry, Kyle has helped many race directors and race promoters start and improve their own races so that they too can share their passion for endurance sports with others.

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Reckoneer, the leading resource for outdoor industry event planners, has been partnering with race directors and event managers since 2012. As a veteran-owned, event planning and marketing company, Reckoneer supports an extensive portfolio of off-road races, outdoor programs, and endurance sports companies with strategy, logistics, and contingency planning.

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